The Improvement of Performance through Minimizing Scallop Size in MEMS Based Micro Wind Turbine

In this paper we report on the improvement of performance by minimizing scallop size through deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) of rotors in micro-wind turbines based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The surface profile of an MEMS rotor can be controlled by modifying the scallop size of the DRIE surface through changing the process recipe. The fabrication of a planar disk-type MEMS rotor through the MEMS fabrication process was carried out, and for the comparison of the improvements in the performance of each rotor, RPM testing and open circuit output voltage experiments of stators and permanent magnets were performed. We found that the smooth etching profile with a minimized scallop size formed using DRIE results in improved rotation properties in MEMS-based wind turbine rotors.

Self-Controlled Cleaving Method for Silicon DRIE Process Cross-Section Characterization

Advanced microsystems widely used in integrated optoelectronic devices, energy harvesting components, and microfluidic lab-on-chips require high-aspect silicon microstructures with a precisely controlled profile. Such microstructures can be fabricated using the Bosch process, which is a key process for the mass production of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices. One can measure the etching profile at a cross-section to characterize the Bosch process quality by cleaving the substrate into two pieces. However, the cleaving process of several neighboring deeply etched microstructures is a very challenging and uncontrollable task. The cleaving method affects both the cleaving efficiency and the metrology quality of the resulting etched microstructures. The standard cleaving technique using a diamond scriber does not solve this issue. Herein, we suggest a highly controllable cross-section cleaving method, which minimizes the effect on the resulting deep etching profile. We experimentally compare two cleaving methods based on various auxiliary microstructures: (1) etched transverse auxiliary lines of various widths (from 5 to 100 μm) and positions; and (2) etched dashed auxiliary lines. The interplay between the auxiliary lines and the etching process is analyzed for dense periodic and isolated trenches sized from 2 to 50 μm with an aspect ratio of more than 10. We experimentally showed that an incorrect choice of auxiliary line parameters leads to silicon “build-up” defects at target microstructures intersections, which significantly affects the cross-section profile metrology. Finally, we suggest a highly controllable defect-free cross-section cleaving method utilizing dashed auxiliary lines with the stress concentrators.

XXV Международный симпозиум Нанофизика и наноэлектроника", Нижний Новгород, 9-12 марта 2021 г. Влияние добавки хлорпентафторэтана в составе хлорсодержащей плазмы на скорость и характеристики профиля травления арсенида галлия

In this work, the dependence of plasma-chemical etching rate and the roughness of the surface of gallium arsenide crater on chloropentafluoroethane (C2F5Cl) concentration in a mixture with chlorine, forward power and etching duration were studied. Characteristics of GaAs etching crater were studied by white light interferometry and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that C2F5Cl addition in chlorine-containing inductively coupled plasma led to a nonlinear change of gallium arsenide etching rate with time which can be explained by passivation of substrate surface at the initial stage by products of freon decay. Along with this, characteristics of the etching profile of GaAs are significantly improved. Forward power increase contributes to development of roughness, while the etching rate increases nonlinearly.

Plasma Parameters and Etching Characteristics of SiOxNy Films in CF4 + O2 + X (X = C4F8 or CF2Br2) Gas Mixtures

In this work, we carried out the study of CF4 + O2 + X (X = C4F8 or CF2Br2) gas chemistries in respect to the SiOxNy reactive-ion etching process in a low power regime. The interest in the liquid CF2Br2 as an additive component is motivated by its generally unknown plasma etching performance. The combination of various diagnostic tools (double Langmuir probe, quadrupole mass-spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) allowed us to compare the effects of CF4/X mixing ratio, input power and gas pressure on gas-phase plasma characteristics as well as to analyze the SiOxNy etching kinetics in terms of process-condition-dependent effective reaction probability. It was found that the given gas systems are characterized by: (1) similar changes in plasma parameters (electron temperature, ion current density) and fluxes of active species with variations in processing conditions; (2) identical behaviors of SiOxNy etching rates, as determined by the neutral-flux-limited process regime; and (3) non-constant SiOxNy + F reaction probabilities due to changes in the polymer deposition/removal balance. The features of CF4 + CF2Br2 + O2 plasma are lower polymerization ability (due to the lower flux of CFx radicals) and a bit more vertical etching profile (due to the lower neutral/charged ratio).

Plasma Etching of SiON Films Using Liquefied C7F14 Gas as Perfluorocarbon Alternative

In this study, we evaluated the possibility of replacing existing perfluorocarbon gas with C7F14, which can be recovered in its liquid state from room-temperature air. We performed plasma etching of SiON films using the CF4 + X + O2 mixed gas, where X = CHF3, C4F8, or C7F14, and examined the etching characteristics of the films (e.g., etching rate, etching profile, and selectivity over Si). Using contact angle goniometry, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we analyzed the physicochemical changes in the etched SiON film surface. Moreover, optical emission spectroscopy and double Langmuir probe measurements were carried out for plasma diagnosis. Compared with the conventional CHF3 and C4F8 mixed plasma, the C7F14 mixed plasma exhibited a more perpendicular etching profile with higher SiON/Si selectivity and a smoother surface.

Модификация рельефа n-поверхности AlGaInN-светодиодов изменением состава газовой смеси при реактивном ионном травлении

The kind of profile produced during the reactive ion etching of AlGaInN light-emitting-diode (LED) heterostructures on the surface that became free after removal of the growth substrate is studied in relation to the composition of the gas mixture used in the etching process. It is shown that using a mixture composed of Cl_2 and Ar, taken in a 3:2 ratio in terms of flow rates, leads to the thinnest profile, whereas a 2 : 1 gas mixture of BCl_3 and Ar provides the largest structural elements. To study the effect of the kind of profile on the quantum efficiency (QE), flip-chip LEDs are fabricated on a silicon substrate. The LEDs are etched in different modes after the growth substrate is removed. Etching in the Cl_2:BCl_3:Ar mixture with a flow ratio of 6:10:11, which leads to intermediate sizes of the etching profile elements, is optimal for obtaining maximum light extraction from a LED chip at a wavelength of 460 nm. The variation of the kind of profile with the gas-mixture composition suggests that the profile parameters can be tuned to the wavelength used. An analysis of how the QE of LED chips depends on the etching duration in the three-component mixture under consideration results in that the optimum etching duration is estimated to be ~30 min. The results of the study can also be of use in the search for conditions minimizing the reflection of incident light by a chip, e.g., for photodetectors.